Method and apparatus for pressing pleats in fabric materials



Nov. 24, 1953 M. G. HUTCHINS METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR PRESSING PLEATS IN FABRIC MATERIALS Filed July 19, 1951 INV ENT OR MARY s. uu'rcnms MAW ' ATTORNEYS Patented Nov. 24, 1953 METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR PRESSING PLEATS IN FABRIC MATERIALS Mary G. Hutchins, San Francisco, Calif.

Application July 19, 1951, Serial No. 237,593

1 Claim. 1

This invention relates generally to fabric pleating apparatus and more particularly to an apparatus for and method of pleating whole fabrics in one operation by amateurs in the home.

Various apparatus, generally attachments for irons, for pleating fabrics are known in the art and these, as a whole, are characterized by certain disadvantages in that they must be manipulated by professional operators, require the use of steam or water, will pleat only a portion of a fabric resulting in inaccurate pleating, are expensive and unwieldy, or fail to protect the fabric fro-m burning or scorching.

Accordingly, the chief object of the present invention is to provide an improved apparatus and method of pleating which will obviate the above-mentioned undesirable characteristics of known devices.

Another important object of the present invention is to provide an improved apparatus for and method of pleating which will enable the amateur in the home to rapidly and accurately form pleats throughout a fabric in one operation without damage to the fabric.

A further important object is to provide an inexpensive apparatus of few parts for forming pleats in fabrics which will make and hold sharp pleats and endure many pressings while completely protecting the fabric from scorching or burning.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will become apparent during the course of the following description.

In its broadest aspects, the invention comprises a method and apparatus which will retain and completely enclose a fabric in pleated condition, and maintain the fabric in such condition while an ironing device is fixing the pleats in the material.

In the drawings, I have shown one form of the invention. In this showing:

Figure 1 is a perspective view of the apparatus in fully assembled condition enclosing a fabric and in readiness for ironing so as to fix the pleats in the enclosed fabric;

Figure 2 is a perspective View to an enlarged scale of the pleated sheets which enclose the fabric to be pleated;

Figure 3 is a central vertical longitudinal sectional view of a pleat clamping strip for maintaining the plea-ts of the fabric and its enclosing sheets together during ironing; and

Figure 4 is a perspective view to an enlarged scale of a clamp for holding one of the edges of the fabric and the enclosing sheets together during the pleating operation.

Referring to the drawings, numeral I 0 designates the apparatus of the invention as a whole which comprises a pair of pleated heavy paper sheets [2 and M, a plurality of clamps l6 and a plurality of pleat retaining clamping strips I8.

The heavy paper sheets 12 and M are preferably tag-paper, number 150, although other types may be successfully used. Tag paper is not harsh nor abrasive, is pliable enough not to cut fine fabrics, will make and hold a sharp crease and will withstand many pressings or ironings.

By way of example, the sheets [2 and [4 may be 30 by 42 inches before pleating which will reduce to about 30 by 15 inches after pleating and flat as shown in Figure 1. The pleats may be one inch wide with one-half inch connecting folds. The example given will enable an amateur to finish pleating the full width and length of most womens skirts in one operation, thus ensuring pleating accuracy as compared with stepby-step pleating of small skirt areas by known apparatus.

. The two sheets of tag-paper l2 and [4 are pleated by creasing them together, one on the other to ensure that the creased edges fit snugly together. The top sheet l2 will thus be slightly larger in each fold. There is thusly no impression of the top fold on the fabric being pleated when the fabric is placed between the pleated sheets and ironed. The resulting fabric pleat is smooth and neat and the fabric is ironed on both sides.

The clamps It are preferably formed of a sheet of lightweight metal such as aluminum folded along its longitudinal line centrally of its width. A plurality of teeth 20 are struck up from one portion to project, when the clamp is in folded position, into apertures 22 formed in the opposing portion.

The pleat retaining clamping strips I8 are also preferably formed of lightweight metal such as aluminum and comprise a pair of flexible legs pivotally joined as at 24 at one end and having a snap fastener 26 cooperating with an aperture 28 at their other ends. The clamping strips l8 are of such length as to extend beyond the Width of the pleated sheets [2 and Hi in their folded flat position as shown in Figure 1.

While delicate fabrics may be pleated with the apparatus described, it is, of course, desirable to select fabrics capable of holding pleats such as sheer wools, rayon, silks and linen. The pleating of heavier fabrics, such as heavy wools, will require heavier apparatus than described by way of example.

In the use of the apparatus comprising the present invention, the fabric to be pleated is first hemmed. The bottom pleated sheet I4 is placed on a table, etc. with the pleats turned away from the operator and smoothed. The Vertical dimension of the fabric is placed parallel to the length of the pleat in the sheet with the selvage along the outside edge of the sheet.

The top pleated sheet 12 is now placed over the fabric and the sheet 14 with the pleats of the two sheets corresponding. The assembly is next joined by placing a clamp I6 through the edge of the fabric and the sheets at the ends and center of the sheets as shown in Figure l.

The fabric is now gently pushed into the folds of the bottom tag-paper sheet l4, working away from the clamped edge and then gradually working the folds of the top sheet [2 over the fabric. Then, with the edge of a light ruler, etc., each fold is pushed snugly together. The clamping strips 18 are then placed over the fiat assembly (Figure 1) at the ends and over the middle and snapped closed.

The pleats are thus formed in the fabric and may be set or fixed therein by ironing over the assembly. The middle clamping strip is is slidable along the pleated surface of the upper sheet so that the entire surface may be readily ironed. The iron should, of course, be hot and the pressing motion away from the operator or in the direction with the pleats. When the pressing of one side is complete, the assembly comprising the apparatus Ill and the enclosed fabric being pleated is picked up, turned over in a direction away from the operator and the other side ironed. When the fabric has cooled, it may be removed fully and accurately pleated from between the sheets I2 and l4.

7 It will now be readily apparent that I have provided an apparatus for and method of pleating which will enable amateurs in the home to quickly and easily obtain a professional pleating of their fabrics while completely protecting them from scorching or burning. Moreover, the ap paratus can be easily manufactured, packaged either flat or in a roll, sold at a low cost within the budget of a housewife or dressmaker, and will be of long life.

It is to be understood that the form of the invention herewith shown and described is to be taken as a preferred example of the same and that various changes in the shape, size and arrangement of parts may be resorted to without departing from the spirit of the invention or the scope of the subjected claim.

I claim:

A fabric pleating device of the character described, comprising in combination, a lower pleating member composed of a sheet of pleated heavy paper, an upper pleating member composed of a sheet of pleated heavy paper and slightly larger in the folds of its pleats than the folds of the pleats of the lower sheet, said sheets being adapted to fit snugly together and to receive a sheet of fabric between them to be pleated thereby, adjustable clamps releasably engageable with the assembled pleating members with the fabric to be pleated therebetween, said clamps engaging said fitted together pleating members along the length of the folds of said lower and upper pleating members and other clamps extending across said folds and releasably engageable with saidassembly and adapted to flatten and clamp said upper and lower pleating members flatwise against the fabric therebetween to be pleated.

MARY G. HUTCHINS.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PA'I'ENTS Number Name Date 664,721 Castleman Dec. 25, 1900 828,486 Kolbeck Aug. 14, 1906 1,793,769 Angelus Feb. 24, 1931 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 5,464 Great Britain Mar. 2, 1897 264,520 Germany f Sept. 26, 1913 

